Controlling device for airships.



A. VON PARSEVAL.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AIBSHIPS APPLIOATION 11.21) APR. 6, 1908.

970,262. Patented Sept13,1910.

W1 in 66585.

AUGUST VON 'PABS EVAL,"O F GHABLOTTENBUBG, GERMANY.

CONTROLLING DEVICE ron Amsnu's.

Specification of Letteralatent. Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Application filed April a, 1908. Serial No. 425,428.

To alt'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUs'r VON PARSEVAL,

a subject of the King of Bavaria, residin at Oharlottenburg, Germany, have invente certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices for Airships, of which the following is a s cification.

My invention re ates to air ships especially to those of the non-rigid type and has for its object to rovide such air-ships with an arrangement y means of which the inclined osition thereof can be regulated. 1

The mvention is to be applied to long nonrigid air-ships provided with two air ba s so that the inclined osition of the air ship can be regulated by driving air into one air bag and allowing air to escape simultaneously from the other bag.

Accordin to my invention I provide the air bags an the necessary air conduits and valve mechanism belonging thereto in such a manner that the air bags are made dependent upon one another and upon the gas content of the balloon. For this purpose the air conduit, leading from a centrifugal fan or other suitable apparatus for supplying air, is provided with an inlet and an outlet valve which are so arranged that when an inlet valve is opened the correspondin outlet valve is closed while the outlet vfive is iven free play when the inlet valve is closed. f the inclined position of the air ship is to be changed, an is blown into one of the air bags. On opening the inlet valve for this pur ose the corresponding outlet valve is closed? The increase of an pressure in one of the bags, and the increase in volume thereby, effects an increase of gas ressure in the air ship which drives the air rom the second air bag of which the outlet valve is not closed. The connection between the in let valves and the corresponding outlet valves is such that the outlet valve is opened and closed when the corresponding inlet valve is entirely opened whereas when the inlet valve is only partially opened it can work freely. The outlet valves act as automatic safety valves in that they allow the air to escape when it'reaches a certain pressure.

My invention will be more clearly understood by referringto the accompanying drawing in which similar references indlcate the same parts.

- Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the whole air ship, the air ship being out along various constructional forms of valves.

In Fig. 1, 1 is the bag of the air ship within which are mounted two air ba s 2. The air bags are connected by means 0 air tubes 3-to a central part 4 which is supplied with air from a fan or other suitable air supplying ap aratus 5. The fan is advantageous y carrie in the car (not shown) of the air ship. In the central part 4 are provided the inlet and outlet valves for the air bags 2, an inlet valve 6 and an outlet valve 7 being rovided for each bag. In Fi 1 sim le d ampers are shown as inlet va ves an spring operated plates as outlet valves. The outlet valves are of such construction that when the air reaches a certain pressure it is er: mitted-to escape from the air bags 2. he inlet valves 6 can be opened and closed by an va ves as hereinafter descrl d.

The connection between the inlet and outlet valves and the arrangement for operating the inlet valves is shown in Figs. 2-6. In Fi 2 each part of the center piece 4 is provi ed with an inlet and an outlet valve. The inlet valve (not shown) which is in the 'form of a rotatable plate is mounted upon the axis 8 on the end of which projecting beyond the casing, is mounted a crank 9. To the crank 9 is connected a cord 10 operated by the driver of the air ship. Each inlet valve is provided with a cord 10. To the plate of the outlet valve 7 is attached one arm of a bell crank lever 11 which is pivotally mounted in a bracket 12 and has its other arm connected to the cord 10 b a cord 13. It will be seen from the drawing that when the cord 10 is pulled the inlet and outlet valves are operated simultaneously the cord 13 being of such a len th that the outlet valve is not moved unti the inlet valve is almost completely opened. When this is the case and the inlet valve is moved further until it is completely open then the outlet valve is closed and remains closed as long as the inlet valve remains open. .In Fig. 3 such a construction is shown in section. Within the center piece 4 is mounted upon an axis 8 a rotatable plate 6 which constitutes the inlet valve, to which is connected a spring which tends to bring the valve back into its closed position. To the end of the axis 8 outside the casing is fixed a crank 9 to which is attached the cord 10. The outits longitudinal axis. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 show I suitable gear and o rate\the outlet let valve is fixed to a rod 15 which is guidedin a bearing 16 provided on the valve seat. A spring 18 tends to keep the valve closed and thus forms a load upon the valve 7 which when the air is at a certain pressure automatically opens and allows the air to escape. The upper end of the rod 15 is bent at 19 at right angles and projects within reach of the rotatable plate 6 so that this when almost entirely open, raises and closes the valve 7 and when completely open-locks the latter in the closed positlon.

'In the constructional form illustrated in Fig. 4 the inlet and outlet valves are 00- axially disposed and 'are formed as plate valves. 19 is the inlet valve and 20 is the outlet valve. Each of the valves is mounted upon rods 21 which are guided in sleeves 22. The two rods 21 are connected together by a chain. The outlet valve 20 is closed by the chain 23 and held in the closed position when the inlet valve is completely open. The movement of the inlet valve is in this case also eflected by a cord 10 which is connected directly to the inlet valve. Also in the constructional form shown in Fig. 5 both the valves are in the form of spring operated plate valves 19 and 20 provided with spindles 21 guided in sleeves but at right angles to one another. The valves are both operated by a bell crank lever 24 mounted upon an .axis which outside the center piece 4 has mounted upon it a crank 9 to which the cord is attached. One arm of the bell crank lever 24 rests against the spindle of the inlet valve 19and pushes the .valve 19 toward the left into the open position when the cord 10 is pulled downward. The other arm of the bell crank lever 24 abuts, when the .valve 19 is nearly open, against the right-angular end 25 of the spindle of the outlet valve 20, thus closing the outlet valve and holding it in its closed position.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrateda constructional form in which the inlet valves are formed as rotary valves 26 for which urpose the center piece 4 is partly cylindrlcal. In Fig. 6 both of the inlet and outlet valves are shown, the inlet valve on the left side of the figure being closed and the outlet valve 0 en and free, while on the right side of the gure the inlet valve is open and the outlet valve closed. The rotary valves 26 are mounted upon axes 27 provided outside the casing 4 with levers 28 to which the cords 10 are attached. Springs 29 are adapted to move the inlet valves into their closed positions. The outlet valves 30 are of the same construction as in Fig. 5. For operating them there are mounted upon axes 31 levers 32 which rest against the right angular end of the valve spindles and in this manner ope'rate the valves. The axes 3l'are provided outside the casing with a lever 33 to which are attached cords 34 which are connected et valves are not operated until the in v What I claim as my invention and desire I to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an aerostat'or airship of the type described, two air bags connected together in such manner that when air is supplied to one, the air contained in the other is permitted to escape, means for connecting together the two air bags, means for admitting air to one of the bags and permitting the air to escape from the other and means for supplying air to the air bags substantially as described.

2. In an aerostat or air shipof the type described, two air bags connected together in such manner that when air is supplied to one, the air contained in the other is permitted to escape, an air chamber connected to the air bags, means for connecting the said 9 bags to the air chamber, means for admitting air to one of the bags and permitting the air to escape from the other and means for supplying air to the air chamber substantially as described.

3. In an aerostat or air ship of the type described two air bags connected together in such manner that when air is supplied to one, the air contained inthe other is permitted to escape, an air chamber connected to the air bags, means for connecting the air bags alternately to the air chamber and to the atmosphere, and means for supplying air to air chamber substantially as described.

4. In aerostats or air ships of the type described, two air bags, apparatus for supplying air, an air chamber in connection with the apparatus for supplying air, means for connecting the air bags alternately to the air chamber and to the atmos here so that air may be supplied to one of the air bags and the air contained in the other may escape substantially as described.

5. In aerostats or air ships of the type described, two air bags, apparatus for supplying air, an air chamber in connection with the apparatus for supplying air, tubes for connecting the air bags to the air chamber, inlet valves disposed within the tubes, outlet valves disposed within the tubes and means for connecting the inlet valve of one air bag to the outlet valve of the other air-1 bag in such a manner that when air is being supplied to one bag, the air is permitted to escape from the other bag substantially as described.

6. In aerostats or airships of the type devalve of one as bag to the outlet valve of scribed, two air bags, apparatus for supplythe other gas ag in such manner that when ing air, an air chamber connected to the apair is aduntted into one air bag,- the air con- 15 paratus for su plying air, tubes for connecttained in the other gas bag is eSermitted to a 1n the air amber tow the air bags, inlet escape substantially as describ va ves disposed within the tubes, outlet In witness whereof I have hereunto set my valves disposed within the tubes, said outlet hand this 21st day of March, 1908.

valves when theair reaches a certain pressure permitting the air to esca from the air AUGUST VON PARSEVAL' bags into the atmosphere an automatically Witnesses: closin when the pressure is slightly de- Monrrz Warm,

crease and means connecting the inlet O'rro sonnoan'rnn. 

